


Insecurity

by sunaddicted



Series: Illogical Week 2019 [2]
Category: Broadchurch, Masters of Sex
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Illogical Week 2019, M/M, Post-Coital, Post-Coital Cuddling, Self-Esteem Issues, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-07 21:37:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21224600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunaddicted/pseuds/sunaddicted
Summary: It was a safe bet to presume that Bill had heard plenty about him and while that apparently hadn't been enough to rule him out for a shag, Alec could barely believe that the other man would actually think him dating material.Not even his wife had considered him dating material.





	Insecurity

**Author's Note:**

> Illogical Week, Day Two
> 
> Prompt: Let's date

_Insecurity_

"Let's date"

Alec hummed, reacting more to the fact that someone had spoken to him rather than to the words in themselves - not with his brain as fuzzy with the afterglow as it was.

The sex had been downright spectacular - he could tell from the way muscles he didn't have a memory of ached pleasantly, well used for once - or maybe it had just been a while since he had allowed himself to relax enough to talk someone into his bed.

Well, it hadn't gone exactly like that.

He had been sipping on his tea in the hall of the hotel when a rather apologetic William Masters had asked him to sit at his table, evidently side blinded by the fact that the whole of Broadchurch seemed to have elected the place as their after dinner entertainment - Alec had only conceded to the request with a nod of his head because he knew the doctor was the quiet sort and he had hoped that, not being acquainted already, it would keep the man from drowning him in chatter. 

How handsome he was might have weighed in on his choice to allow him at his table too. 

The fact that they had managed to make a pleasant conversation flow between them had been an unexpected bonus - even more surprising, it was the flirting that Bill had sprinkled more and more frequently amidst the wide variety of topics they had touched as their soft drinks had been converted to alcoholic ones.

Not enough to get drunk - they were too old for that. But the pleasant buzz the whiskey had left behind certainly gave Alec the help he had needed to subtly caress the other's hand and accept his subtle invitation for more; the promise had made heat bloom in his belly and Alec hadn't been sure he would be able to get up the stairs without embarassing himself - but he had managed.

And when the door of Bill's room had clicked closed, all subtlety had vaporized like water under the scorching summer sun.

"I'm serious"

"Hmm?"

Bill turned to his side, dragging the blanket with him to huddle in its folds while he looked at the man next to him: he didn't think he had ever seen Alec Hardy so abandoned to relaxation since he had moved to Broadchurch - it was a welcomed sight. 

A cherished one.

Even more so knowing that he was the reason for it.

"I would really like to date you" Bill reiterated, determined to insist until he got a coherent answer out of the other man "Take you out for dinner or whatever passes for as a good date around here" despite having moved there for a couple of months already, Bill hadn't exactly had the time to properly explore the entertainment on offer in Broadchurch: his job at the local hospital kept him busier than he had thought he would and while he deeply enjoyed it - there was something truly satisfying about once again bringing children to the world and helping the mothers through birth even in the direst of cases - and never complained about the workload, he still wished he knew his new home a little better. 

Alec frowned and took his arm off of his face so that he could look at Bill, part of him convinced that he was hallucinating while the other wondered about whether he was taking the piss out of him: who would want to date him, afterall? Even if the doctor didn't know him that well, he must have heard the rumours about how difficult he could be; the opinion of Broadchurch inhabitants about his character might have shifted into a more positive light after he had solved the Latimer case but he was sure that they still hadn't forgiven him his harsh and to the point manners.

It was a safe bet to presume that Bill had heard plenty about him and while that apparently hadn't been enough to rule him out for a shag, Alec could barely believe that the other man would actually think him dating material.

Not even his wife had considered him dating material.

"Excuse me?"

Was Alec alright? Bill was starting to get worried: surely he had been clear enough in expressing his desires, hadn't he? He reached out and took one of those bony hands, hoping the touch would centre the other man and help him focus "Let's date"

"Seriously?"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"What?"

Alec sat up, taking his hand out of Bill's because he needed it to make his point while he used the other to keep the sheet in place "I mean, you can't have heard nice enough stuff about me to consider taking me on a date"

"Well, no. But-" Bill raised a finger to stop the other from interrupting him "-I've talked to you and I like you. You're very honest and blunt, I find those qualities rather charming" it was evident from the way Alec's eyes widened that the other man hadn't expected those words to come out of his mouth "Please, give us a chance"

_Us_.

Nowadays, the only person who unironically used that word was Miller - Alec blinked, shocked, but he couldn't see any hints of mockery on Bill's face and he was very good at reading people "You're... I can't believe you're telling the truth"

"Alec, if you don't want to date me-"

"No, no. I didn't mean it that way" he really was cocking everything up without meaning to and fuck, good things happened to him so rarely that apparently it really was hard for him to accept them "I'm just... people don't usually want to take me out or have much to do with me in general. I would like to date you, if the offer is still on the table"

Bill smiled and reached out once again, taking back Alec's hand for himself and brought it to his mouth, lips caressing knuckles that had been broken more often than he liked to think "It is. How does tomorrow night sound?"

"Good. Very good" maybe things really would turn out for the best.   
  



End file.
